My brother David was in Orlando this weekend covering the IFBB Europa show so we got together for breakfast this morning and, as usual, the conversation quickly turned to the subjects of bodybuilding, fat loss, and the difficulty of getting personal training clients to follow their diet. I explained how I could usually tell whether a new client was going to be successful in losing fat or not by the way they answer a few questions. First, I ask whether they have always been as heavy as they are currently. If they answer “no” I ask them when they were in the best shape of their life, and what changed. If they answer in a way that shows they understand and take responsibility for the change, saying things like, “I started to eat a lot more,” or “I started getting lazy” it’s a safe bet if they’re serious they’re going to get good results. If they answer by blaming things that happened to them, their kids, their job, etc. it’s usually a safe bet they’re not going to take responsibility for their eating or follow any diet I give them and they’ll find a way to blame me too when they don’t lose fat.
David’s reply, which sums the whole thing up nicely, is that “being fat is a choice.” At first this might sound like a mean thing to say because the vast majority of people don’t want to be fat, however that is exactly what people do when they make decisions about the types and quantities of food and drink they consume and other behaviors which affect fat gain or loss. This is also exactly what people who are fat need to hear, because when they understand being fat isn’t something that just happened to them and that it is a choice, they will also understand that it is within their control and that they can choose to be leaner and healthier instead.
This is extremely important, and bears repeating; being fat is a choice.
I am not saying this to hurt your feelings. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty or ashamed of being fat. What I am trying to do is to give you the most important tool in making a change, the understanding that you can change if you choose to.
If you believe the cause is outside of your control, that other people, circumstances, or events in your life are the reason you are fat, then you will also believe you are powerless to change. If you believe you are powerless, that you are doomed to failure, then you will not make the necessary effort and you will not change.
If you believe the cause was your bad dietary choices, that you and you alone are responsible for the eating behaviors that made you fat, then you will also believe it is within your power to change. If you believe you have the power to change, the confidence that your effort will be rewarded with success, then you will make the effort and you will change.
Also, stop thinking of yourself as a “fat person” and stop listening to anyone who says you are, and instead think of yourself as a person who is only temporarily fat. Your degree of fatness is changeable, it is not who you are, it is a temporary condition that you can control. If you have a lot of body fat you didn’t put it on overnight and you’re not going to lose it quickly, but even if you take it slow every pound you lose is a step towards being the fit person you can be.
Start small. Make a commitment to strength training once or twice a week, making better food choices, and reducing your calorie intake. You don’t have to go all-out with your workouts right from the start, and you don’t need to restrict your calorie intake severely, just get in the habit. With time and experience you will learn to train more intensely and become more accustomed to and able to embrace the discomfort of hard workouts. As you start paying more attention to what and how much you’re eating and making conscious decisions with your goals in mind you will get better at making healthy choices and developing healthier eating habits.
Start smart. Set realistic short and long term goals, write them down, and put them where you will see them every day. For example, “I will lose five pounds this month” and “I will lose at least sixty pounds by this time next year” and “I will strength train consistently and be more active in general” would be realistic, achievable goals for someone with a lot of fat to lose. Share your goals with others and ask that they respect what you are trying to accomplish and be supportive. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. If someone is negative or discouraging, or if they attempt to sabotage your efforts call them on it and tell them to cut it out.
Start now. No matter how much fat you have to lose you can do it, and the sooner you begin the sooner you will achieve your goal. Even if you only lose a pound of fat per week in a year you can lose over fifty pounds and in two over one hundred. It will take discipline, effort, and patience. It will not be easy. But, if you choose to you can persevere and you will succeed.
“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”
– Vince Lombardi
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Very true. This post reminds me of a Zig Ziglar quote:
“For 24 years of my adult life, by choice, I weighed well over 200 pounds. I say “by choice” because I have never *accidentally* eaten anything. So when I choose to eat too much, I have chosen to weigh too much. Every choice has an end result.”
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the quote. Ziglar has some great ones. My favorite Ziglar quote, which also applies to this topic is, “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now.”
Drew,
Your favorite Ziglar quote sounds profound at first glance, but it’s actually untrue if you carefully think about it. We in fact choose “what we most want” every time we make a choice, because we always choose according to our strongest desire at the moment. We may want to be slimmer, but “what we most want” is the immediate gratification of eating that half gallon of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Thus, not only is being fat a choice, but it’s a choice that we make because we want to be fat “more” than we want to be lean. That’s not easy for most people to accept, but it’s true nonetheless.
Hey Roger,
You’re right, but what I like about this quote is it makes people aware that every choice they make is a value judgement. Certain choices can either move us closer to or further from our goals and when we have to make these choices we are choosing which we value more, the momentary pleasure of eating or doing something we shouldn’t or the achievement of our goals. Although I don’t think of this exact quote, almost every time I am tempted to eat something I shouldn’t or eat more than I should I ask myself, “is this more important than my goals?” When people make conscious decisions with their goals in mind instead of sleepwalking through their days led by thoughtless whims, impulses, and habits, they are more likely to make the right ones.
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more! Also, I understood the general point Ziglar was making; it’s just a pet peeve of mine to be precise about things. 🙂
Hey Roger,
Language and semantics matter, and it’s easy to be annoyed when people are careless with them. Ziglar’s words may not always be accurate, but their intent is usually right.
If this is a subject you enjoy reading about I highly recommend The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker.
Bulls-eye! This hit the mark and the core issue for most. Thank you. I will pass this on to my clients and friends.
Thanks Carlos,
Hopefully they’ll actually read the article and be empowered by it, rather than react emotionally to the title and get angry. This isn’t about blame, it’s about letting people know it is within their power to change.
“Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also.”
– Marcus Aurelius
love the article and you are correct it is about choice. but I’ve heard it all myself the excuse making. I think one of the problems is the industry itself. there is a lot of fad diets and they confuse people on what they should be eating or not eating. on top of that the body building industry also condones an aggressive amount of protein and calorie intake. as far as I know if you are on synthetic drugs your metabolism can handle the excessive amount of calories. when I went back and read old time bodybuilding that wasn’t the case. most of those guys were eating moderate amounts of protein exercising three times a week for half an hour.well I blame the individual I also blame the dishonesty in the industry.since I started the hit program I have made better muscle games. for me I know I am addicted to food and especially sugar. even when I was in the military doing excessive exercising I did not see any results in body fat loss. in the end it is all about the diet. thanks again for the blog it is great and informative
Hey Jancel,
Yes, unfortunately we have an industry that panders to what people want to believe rather than telling them what they need to know. They are primarily motivated by profit and it is much easier to sell people a lie they want to believe than a truth they don’t want to believe.
There is nothing wrong with profit motive, but it should never come at the expense of honesty and integrity. I’d like to make more money writing, consulting, and training, but only if I can make it a win-win, an objective exchange of value for value. I turn down tens of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue yearly because I refuse to sell links or banner space on this web site to people pushing bullshit programs and supplements. I’m fine with that, though, because I’d rather make less money and feel good about helping people than make a lot more money but feel like shit for being a huckster and ripping people off.
Drew,
There within lies the secret: You have integrity, hucksters do not. They are unconscionable and don’t have one or have seared it long ago in the relentless pursuit of money, power, and/or prestige at any cost.
I for one, respect you greatly for your honesty and thank you for your efforts. You do this community a great service.
Thanks Ben,
I appreciate it. I would love to have more money (one can never have enough books, guns, or guitars) but only if I earn it by providing people information or products of equal value in exchange.
You are most welcome.
Equal value in exchange for services rendered. It’s a shame that more businesses don’t practice this. Especially in the fitness industry. It’s more like, “How much can we get over on someone. ”
That’s why I enjoy your site, books, etc. and recommend it to so many people.
Thanks Ben,
I appreciate it. Book sales are what makes it possible for me to free up time to write articles for the web site, so the more people buying, reading, and recommending them the better.
So if you had asked me 2 years ago if I had always been that fat, I would have said no. I was in my best shape when I trained for two bodybuilding contests but other than that, in my 30’s I was around 235 and about 15% bodyfat (skinfold measurements). If you asked me what changed, I would have said my job with an unpredictable schedule serving people with developmental disabilities (not taking personal responsibility), frequently being short of staffing but never with less responsibility because of it and an obligation to eat out frequently with the people we serve (again not taking responsibility for what I ate). Now, having lost some 40 lbs of fat and rebuilding 20 lbs of muscle I would still say the difference is the job. (Not taking responsibility for my improvement either?) I am the same person with the same desire and ability but in one circumstance I was unable despite trying many things (including eating Monkey Chow because it was non-perishable and nutritionally complete for humans, too) to keep the weight off and in the other circumstance I am well on my way to regaining the body I had 20 years ago as a personal trainer. I guess I am just an exception to the rule.
P.S. i still think it was the job.
Your excuse is bullshit.
An unpredictable schedule doesn’t force you to overeat. I’ve had numerous clients over the years in medicine, emergency services, and law enforcement who work long hours under considerable stress, and every one of them that followed their diet lost fat.
Eating out doesn’t force you to overeat. I’ve had numerous clients whose work also required them to eat out frequently, and every one of them that followed their diet lost fat.
You are not an exception to the rule; you are rationalizing. Barring legitimate metabolic problems (something which is easily diagnosed and treated) we only get fat if we overeat and we absolutely do have control over what we put in our mouths. As my friend Michael Lauro likes to tell his clients, we are not alligators, we do not have to snap at every bit of food that passes in front of us, we can choose what we eat and how much.
Your previous job was not responsible for your fat gain and your current job is not responsible for your fat loss. You are. A job can only make it harder or easier to eat well and exercise regularly, it does not force us to make poor choices. Ultimately we choose, ultimately it is our responsibility, and if we get fat we have nobody and nothing to blame but ourselves.
Exactly Drew! Great post and great reply. I am so over my fat loss story that I won’t even mention it here, but I will say that unless someone is holding a gun to your head and force feeding you with a funnel, you are in control over how much you eat. You won’t win any popularity contests with this post, but you are being sincere and honest. And, I, as someone who has kept the weight off for more than 10 years now, appreciates that.
Thanks Muata,
You’re very welcome. A lot of people don’t want to hear it, but they need to because it’s the truth. I actually had a lot of people unsubscribe from my e-mail list and received a few angry e-mails over the last newsletter which shared the title of this article. I suspect most of them were reacting emotionally to the title though, and did not actually read the article. If they did they’d understand my intent isn’t to blame but to empower.
Well, I wish that I could say that I am surprised about folks jumping ship, but I’m not. People nowadays want to be coddled and have their hands held. Also, they don’t want to accept responsibility for their actions. I posted your post on my FB page, and the only people to respond were those making excuses. You know, the whole weight loss industry is turning more and more into a pseudo-science, with all this talk of broken metabolisms, etc. CI vs CO is aa simple and irrefutable process. The variables that affect either side of the equation are many, but, as you noted, it all boils down to how much you put into your pie hole 😉
Hey Muata,
Like the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. You can tell people what they need to do to improve their health, fitness, and appearance but you can’t make them do it. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t want to take responsibility for themselves and prefer to blame external factors for everything they’re unhappy about, and even worse there are a lot of people out there enabling them by telling them it’s out of their control, that they are at the mercy of their metabolic condition, health problems, etc.
Bullshit. I’ve been at this for twenty years now and I’ve worked with a lot of people with a variety of health problems, and every single person who has followed their diet has lost fat. It wasn’t as easy for all of them, for some it was quite a struggle, but they kept their goals in mind and chose accordingly.
Quite frankly, it pisses me off that so many people have responded with excuses, rationalization, and attempts at exempting themselves or others from responsibility. If they really believe their own bullshit I feel badly for them, but I can’t help them. People might be upset by this, but if they aren’t willing to accept responsibility for their condition, they’re not going to take responsibility for changing it, and I do not want people trying to undermine the message that people can lose fat if they’re willing to be disciplined and work at it.
Drew,
I understand our absolute control over our diets , and at the same time , the difficulty in eating correctly while being a guest at dinner , or traveling (especially aboard airlines) is troubling .
Will you comment on the ways you would recommend to lessen the problems of eating well in those situations ?
Thanks,
Michael
Hey Michael,
I get this question from clients a lot, and it deserves and requires a full post to answer it properly so I will make it the next Q&A.
I was fatter in the past because I did not know that the types of food I eat also influences
my fatness as well as the quantity. I was following the low fat and healthy whole grain
carp that we all are being told. I did not know that all the carbs I ate turned to sugar
and the 6 small meals a day was driving me to diabetes by keep my blood sugar
constantly high.
So my excuse is ignorance. Is that still me blaming something or someone else?
Hey Doug,
Different situation. We’re all ignorant of some things, and if you were making what you believed to be good choices but were basing them off of incorrect information the misinformation is somewhat to blame. However, when something doesn’t work it is up to us to question it and look for better solutions. That being said, for most people high versus low fat doesn’t make as much of a difference as calorie intake. There are some who don’t do very well with more carbs, others who can eat more without any problems.
Sure, there are choices involved. But often, to be lean (or not fat) requires choices that are very much in opposition to biological urges that are hardwired and powerful, because they have been honed by millions of years of evolution. In a natural setting, when food supply is uncertain, you had better be driven to fatten up when food was plentiful, otherwise you might not make it through the next famine. Those urges just don’t go away because we have just recently found ourselves in circumstances of assured food abundance.
Hey Craig,
It may not be an easy choice, but it is still a choice. We are not mindless animals driven by instinct, we have the ability to reason and choose not to succumb to our urges.
Part of my point was precisely that: it isn’t necessarily an easy choice. For some people, being lean, or even not being fat, may require a lot more willpower than you or I would need to achieve the same outcome. I don’t truly understand what drives someone to eat their way to a state of extreme obesity, any more than I truly understand why an alcoholic can’t stop after one or two drinks. To observe that the results in either case are the product of bad choices may not be that helpful to the person who has that kind of severe problem.
And you are right: we are not mindless animals. But it is curious that we are the only animals (that I know of) that consciously restrict eating for any purpose. As far as I can tell, most people’s efforts to do so are not all that successful, to judge by the high failure rate for dieting.
Hey Craig,
I know, but easy or not it is still a choice. The important thing to keep in mind that neither David nor I say this to blame, we say it because we want people to know it is within their power to change.
People who rebound after losing weight often do so because they think of the changes in their diet as a temporary thing that is done to lose the fat, not realizing that if they want to keep it off they can never go back to eating the way that caused them to become fat to begin with. You can’t just go on a diet, you’ve got to make permanent changes so that once you’ve achieved your goals you are able to stay lean and healthy.
I agree. I believe that simplifying the very complex issue of obesity to essentially one of personal failings and weakness is unsupported by modern science. Not considering the role of metabolic compensation, highly individualized neuroendocrine responses to macronutrients, differential energy partioning, and the drive of appetite I think unfairly suggests that a simple “calories in calories out” approach is completely explanatory and helps to explain 50 years of miserable failure regarding the treatment of obesity. In the same way that we all understand the variable results obtained with HIT regarding muscular hypertrophy despite a uniform and homogenous approach we might extend to the idea of obesity. Variability is the essential truth of biology and what comes easy to some is near impossible for others. I don’t disregard that human agency contributes to the problem but I disagree that it is the dominant factor. The truth no matter how difficult is that we are all in some way prisoners to our biology.
Hey Randy,
While these are all contributing factors, ultimately it still comes down to what people put in their mouths which is something they have control over. While there is tremendous variability the underlying principles are universal, you just have to apply those principles based on individual response. I guarantee you if you give me a person who claims not to be able to lose fat and I lock them in a cage for a few months and have total control over what they eat they will lose fat.
You use some very fancy language, but the argument, though some valid points were made, still doesn’t hold water. And I love how Drew sticks to his guns; “People still choose to put food in their mouth.”
It really is that simple. People make fat loss as complicated as strength training when it doesn’t need to be.
Eat right, train hard.
It’s the implementation that is the real challenge.
I haven’t read all the comments to see if someone has brought it up, but overeating is a lot like any other addiction:
drugs,
alcohol
gambling
sex
porn
video games
(Just to name a few)
People come up with myriad excuses why they use or abuse the aforementioned, but if people truly want to get their lives in order, they will find a way. So please, don’t rule out willpower with layers of psychobabble as impediments. Willpower is a tremendous force.
I recall an interview Ken Hutchins had with Doug McGuff, and they both went onto say the difference between food and drugs, etc., is that you can quit everything else but food.
So yes, perhaps it’s harder to “quit” overeating simply because of food abundance, but nonetheless, it’s still a conscious choice.That is what they both went on to emphasize, and how well it works when the correct choices are made.
All my clients that have exercised critical thinking skills, as opposed to “out-exercising” bad eating habits, have had great results. Drew has obviously trained many more people than I have so his perspective is much broader, and more enlightened, in this very pertinent situation.
Being fat is not a choice….it is a series of ongoing choices. Everytime we overeat, we are choosing to be fat. Everytime we choose not to exercise, we are choosing to be fat. Notice how choosing one thing, means choosing not the other. It is not a case of one bad choice chubs you…it is series of choices…just as it will take a series of choices to unfat…an accumulation of good choices leads to good results, and vica versa. We don’t need to always make the healthy choice, we just need to consistently make it.
Hey Lew,
I tell clients it’s what they do most of the time that matters. If you’re very lean you’re not going to suddenly get fat by eating a single piece of cheesecake, and if you’re fat you’re not going to suddenly get lean by only choosing to eat healthy occasionally. When you start doing it almost all the time though you are going to see a change.
People always say you are in control of your own life, but in many ways that is not true. For instance, you have no control over a drunk driver hitting you and paralyzing you for life.
Being underweight can be an issue of malnurishment which can be a lack of funds to purchase food, etc. But overweight is always something you have 100% control of. Except for exceedingly rare medical reasons, you can’t be overweight unless you have an abundance of food and choose to eat it.
I haven’t always kept sight of my fitness goals, and have moved from very fit to 70 lbs overweight and back twice, now working on 3 times. But I never feel more focused or more in control of my life than those periods when I am working towards a fitter me. No matter what happens around me, in my family, my career, or my life, I can look in the mirror every day and see something that is constantly improving and be proud of the work I’m doing on myself.
Side Note: Down 25 lbs so far and this time has by far been the easiest. I stopped killing myself on the cardio machines, I stopped killing my self of stupid P90X and the like. I go to the GYM once a week to lift which is a very easy commitment to make, and I eat right and the lbs are falling away and my muscle is growing. TY to Drew Baye and the very small but very focused HIT community.
Hey Curtis,
It is true that there are many events and circumstances we have no control over, however we are in control of how we react to and handle them. However, with the very rare exception of individuals with severe and untreatable metabolic disorders, we do control what we put in our mouths. Even if we don’t have money we can still make better choices at the grocery store, and with a little planning you can make healthy meals for less than what you’d pay for lunch at most fast food places.
Congrats on your progress so far and on dropping the “cardio” and P90X in favor of sane, sensible training, and you’re welcome. I’m glad to help, and while I can’t speak for the HIT community in general most of the people I know want to help as well.
Good blog post Drew.
I spent most of my life since adolescence morbidly obese. I am 6’1″ By age 16, I weighed over 300 lbs. My average adult weight was probably 330 lbs with a high weight of close to 400 in my mid thirties. I just figured it was my genetic predisposition to be overweight. It was easy to rationalize: both my parents, and three of my four siblings were overweight.
In 2011, at 318 lbs, I decided to try to drop some weight. I told my wife my only goal was for my weight to start with a “2”. It was fairly easy at first, just cut out excess food volume, walk daily, and the weight came off. I finally leveled off at 265lbs at what I thought was a very reasonable food intake. I thought to myself “OK, I’m from a big family. I have finally reached my true genetic setpoint” . Out of curiosity, I started tracking my calories using the myfitnesspal app, and quickly discovered I was still eating over 3500 calories per day! If I hadn’t tracked my caloric intake, I would have just rationalized that this is the weight my body was destined to be. Once I started tracking calories I lost another 50 lbs.
Now, I do admit, I think my appetite control is different than most people. My signal of satiety doesn’t kick in for probably 60-90 minutes after eating. As a result, if you gave me a huge plate of food, I was going to eat a huge plate of food. I had to learn how much food I need to eat to give myself that delayed satiety, and be patient. After experimentation I found about 700 calories was usually enough to make me reasonably satisfied after most meals.
I was little angry with myself, having spent 30 years of my life so overweight, thinking it was beyond my control. but that is in the past. I’ve tried to explain to my siblings they too could lose weight, but they are still convinced that our family is an anomaly. They will try for a while, but can’t seem to break away from those bad habits that made my entire family overweight.
No, it’s not genetics guys, it’s the Chinese buffet you’re eating twice a week.
Hey Greg,
Thanks for sharing and for helping to prove it can be done. This is what people need to hear, that while it may not be easy it is possible for them to lose fat and be healthier if they work at it.
Greg,
You are to be so commended for your success!
And thank you for sharing this very personal journey.
I like how you pointed out that you were still eating more than you thought until you started tracking with the myfitnesspal app. It proves that intuitive eating is not a sure-fire way to go about a weight loss plan.
I’ve heard Josh Trentine in an interview say that if fat loss is your goal, you must account for everything you put in your mouth.
I recommend myfitnesspal app to all my clients that want to lose fat. When they want to complain about not losing weight, or blame the exercise routine, I ask them if they are being accountable to their diet.
It is usually answered with a consistent “No.”
The clients who accept accountability and practice critical thinking skills ALWAYS get results.
Greg, thank you again for sharing such an encouraging story with all of us.
Hi Drew. I’m 39 with two young kids and am probably in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Typically I lifted a lot as a youngster, then got sucked into the endurance stuff as I entered into my thirties – triathlons, tough mudders, etc… Predictably that’s what suburban mom’s and dad’s do. But in the last year or two I think I’ve really honed in on the magic. Every single person has the ability to find the best version of themselves. That catch is it takes patience and discipline, and our society is allergic to patience and discipline. I’ve had great results with focusing on the food, sleep, and stress management, and doing HIT once or twice a week. I leave the Gym after 15 or 20 minutes feeling spent, passing all the people watching TV’s on the hamster wheels. It’s freed up tons of time for other things. I’m glad I found your website 6 months ago, it’s put me in a good place. The HIT coupled with some “holistic” life changes is a home run. There’s so much dogma in the fitness industry, and the amount of time people THINK they need to invest to burn fat and gain muscle is so misaligned with the truth. I leave the gym now and go, “I’m glad i don’t have do that again for a while”. It’s supposed to be hard. I used to like working out, and now I kind of loath it. It’s a love / hate. And the results are speaking for themselves. Thanks.
Hey JJ,
You’re welcome! You’re absolutely right, proper exercise is supposed to be very hard, and if someone doesn’t dread their workouts at least a little they’re probably not training anywhere near as intensely as they ought to be. If they are, however, the results they get more than make up for it.
According to many researchers/physicians in the field of investigating the causes of inappropriate obesity (Robert Lustig, for example), the link to sugar and processed food is the key to ruin for those with a genetic predisposition for fat accumulation. Unfortunately, the brain response to sugars is incredibly powerful – as strong as “cocain” in some instances. However, I still don’t buy this as an excuse to give up. But if a client can’t do it, a client can’t do it. I don’t have that kind of control. I’m glad when they show up every time for their workout. Over time, I’ve noticed that some continually want to talk about it until finally they start taking proper control. I believe that as their strength improves, for real, they start to realize that they might also be able to fix the “other thing” as well.
Hey Trace,
Processed foods and foods with a lot of sugar added are calorie dense and addictive, but it still comes down to personal choice. They just have to start thinking more about what they put in their mouths and what is important to them. Strength training helps. Doing difficult things strengthens both our bodies and our will, and I think this transfers to better discipline in other areas for many people.
I know exactly what Trace is talking about. A few clients will come to blame the training for not helping with fat loss.
So Drew, do you have to break out the “tough talk” at times with clients in denial, and who want to point the finger at the training not working enough to “burn the fat?”
If so, how does that typically pan out?
Hey Ben,
I have the same talk with everybody who comes to me to lose fat, which includes telling them three things;
First, while exercise helps to improve body composition in various ways, its contribution to fat loss is minor compared to diet, and regardless of the effort put into their workouts if they do not work equally hard at eating properly they’re not going to lose fat.
Second, if they want to keep the fat off once they’ve lost it they can not go back to eating the way that caused them to put on a lot of fat to begin with. A diet isn’t something you do for a few weeks or months to lean down, it’s how you eat all the time to maintain a healthy body composition.
Third, although it is going to be hard, the results and the impact on their quality of life are worth it, and many other people have started in the same shape they are and have succeeded in their fat loss goals. If those other people did it so can they.
The hard part about the trite statement that “being fat is a choice” is that the choice is not as easy for everyone. For me, it’s pretty easy. My wife has PCOS which means that not only is it about 10 times harder for her to resist the temptation, it’s also about 10 times harder for her to lose the weight she does put on. Which of course leads to frustration. While it’s not impossible, it’s much more difficult for folks with chemical imbalances – especially when it’s caught late and much of the damage is already done.
Similar to the way that one drink is one too many for an alcoholic and others have no problems, weight loss/gain can be very easy for some and very difficult for others. Some people are chemically prone to depression. Same deal. You’re right Drew, it’s still a choice, but the choice isn’t the same one for everyone.
Thanks for many good articles on HIT.
-S
Hey Stephen,
No, it is not as easy for everyone. For some people it’s downright hard, but those are also usually the people who need to lose the fat the most. Ultimately, regardless of how badly they may have screwed themselves up they can lose the fat if they are willing to be disciplined and put for the necessary effort. Hard? Absolutely. Impossible? Not if you want it badly enough.
Drew, I have a quick question for you that I think will put everything into perspective. Out of all the research articles on weight loss and weight gain, have you ever come across an overfeeding study when the experienced someone who could NOT gain weight when eating more calories than their body needed? Similarly, have you come across a weight loss study in which there were people who could NOT lose weigh when eating less calories. Now, I am not talking about the predicted weight gains or losses the scientists may have made. Basically, has the whole CI vs CO process ever been refuted?
Hey Muata,
If this appears to be happening the people are not accurately reporting their food intake. While there is more to it than calories, and while your body does not process all macronutrients the same (it is important to distinguish between food, which is what you eat, and nutrition, which is what your body is able to get from the food you eat) ultimately if there is a calorie deficit weight will be lost and if there is a calorie surplus weight will be gained. What those calories are made up of and the other things we do determine where the weight comes from or goes (ideally we’d like to gain muscle and lose fat rather than the other way around) but calories are the first thing to look at if someone is having difficulty losing or gaining weight.
I have to agree.
Several years ago, I would have cried, thrown tantrums etc with that phrase. I know my family would have done so too, to protect my ego.
The truth is, I have had PCOS and did not discover it until a few months ago. I was the most sporty one in my family AND I loved my veggies. Extreme martial arts, etc were fun to me, even if I hated the gym!
However, to discover the PCOS, I had to go abroad to a 2 or 3rd world country as their hospitals/doctors actually knew their stuff. Suddenly all the symptoms I have always had since I was a child, which had been dismissed here, all added up to something.
HOWEVER, despite all my life gaining no matter what I did, there was a brief period in which I lost 5 kg in 3 months with the help of a personal trainer. I ended up really exhausted and unable to continue but I did do it.
There was another 2 weeks way after, in which I was curious about how my body reacts to how many calories put into it. I discovered that anything under 1200 (including exercise) would cause me to overeat the next day, even if I felt full on the under eating day. I also discovered that the amount of calories I ate affected my mood and depression (as well as the the type of food I ate).
Strangely enough, I never lost any weight on fasting/refusing to eat. It’s great to know that annorexia would eat my muscles before my fat!
Yesterday night, I was extremely disappointed with a weigh in I did for fun. I haven’t weighed myself for 2 months but I know I had lost weight recently. Turns out, I had been heading dangerously past the threshold of obesity on the BMI chart.
The disillusionment went away when I discovered my gym had a time table to show when I had entered. I’ve been going for 3 months to this one, in which I have only been to the gym a total of 12 times (some of which, I did not exercise)
So I guess what I’m trying to say, in a long winded fashion, is that I agree. If you really want to be healthy (not just thin), and you are currently not, then you would take control. At the very least, you should stop gaining weight. The truth is, you’re making a mistake somewhere if you are gaining weight and you don’t want to – unless you need to gain weight i.e. annorexia). There are a million articles online about fitness, a million work out videos and many people at the gym who know what they are doing and sometimes happy to ‘mentor’ newbies (if you ask them AFTER their workout)
Oh and finally, I have to say that although I was devastated to learn I had PCOS when I was first diagnosed, I am actually glad I have it now because it has made me go to the gym long enough to like it (and not get bored) but also everything is focused on being healthy NOT vanity/ looking good, having something to prove to others or wanting to be amazingly good at a sport I cannot do (the martial arts)
P.p.s doctors in my own country told me to stop using the treadmill because of my knees. I found the opposite: HIIT workouts (and squats) really helped my knee get strong and hurt less. Although, when I do go too far, my shin feels kicked (back to Google I go)
Hey Jane,
You’re right about it being about wanting to be healthy. The hard part is making it a habit of considering food choices in the context of health goals rather than whim or boredom.
Your doctors were right about the treadmill, though. You’d be better off performing HIT (not HIIT) workouts for improving body composition, fitness, and overall health while minimizing the stress on your knees.
Hi Drew, I find most of your articles (especially about exercise) very enlightening, but this one is plain offensive. I am not a fat person, but as a skinnyfat guy I can sympathize with fat people – it is not as simple as eating less. Some body types are such that despite eating less the body may store the little of what u eat as fat. I have a small waist – hardly 31 inches – yet I have layers of fat on my belly.
It is easy to say eat less, but unless a person starves for a long period of time the fat especially in stubborn areas wont go away that easily. So my point is, eating less and working out may work for some bodytypes. but for others, it will only work to an extent – if the body keeps storing everything u eat as fat (and simultaneously has little muscle building potential), it will be virtually impossible to lose fat totally unless one goes on extreme diets (which isnt advisable anyway).
Hey Ahmd,
Whether you’re offended has no bearing on the fact that fat loss is as simple as eating less. I can say with absolute certainty that if I were to lock you in a cage and strictly control the amount of food you received and force you to exercise you would lose fat while maintaining muscle. Unfortunately for many people simple does not equate to easy so instead of having me imprison and feed them and train them at gun-point they will have to muster the discipline to control their own eating and to work out consistently.
I’ve been doing this for a living for twenty years now, and I’ve heard every excuse you can imagine. I’ve also seen this very simple approach work over and over, for every person who committed themselves to following it.
Drew,
I just had to comment on this article. You really are so right about this. I also think it’s going to get worse what with the fat acceptance movement. I’m a registered dietitian and have heard every excuse. Denial is not just a river in Africa! I have a friend, also a registered dietitian, who is a telephonic “health coach”. She says most of her obese clients eat out at least twice a day. She was told by one client that he didn’t have time to go to a grocery store! Wow, I thought heads of state were the only ones who had that problem!
Sadly, my once ultra fit husband of 30 years is now morbidly obese. He told me many years ago to quit dispensing diet advice. I get it. No one wants that, so I’ve honored that request. I’m still the same weight I was when we got married 5’4″/125 lbs. I do Dr McGuff’s 5 compound exercises every week. I believe my husband made the choice to be fat and is now in Africaland. He told our teenagers (all Crossfitters and into paleo) that he didn’t have time to eat healthily. Wow, I just wanted to finish that statement with, …and it shows! He eats the good paleo food I make (often 2-3 servings) plus all the other junk he buys at the grocery store. He hasn’t seen a doctor in over 10 yrs. My guess is that if he’s not already diabetic, he’s definitely insulin resistant. He needs medical help to assist his broken metabolism. unfortunately, if it doesn’t kill him, the only thing that’ll wake him up will be a health crisis and it’s coming sooner than later.
Hey N,
Sadly, many people are much better at rationalizing their unhealthy behaviors than changing them and it often does take a health crisis to get them to change, assuming it doesn’t kill them. In these situations a professional psychologist will probably be more helpful than a trainer or nutritionist, because nothing we can teach them will help if they’re not willing to act on it.
Hi Drew,
Great article. Sadly more people will be offended and dissonant over it than take its message to heart.
I come from an obese and overweight family, and my siblings have always been the type to go on fad diets with the mindset that committing to them for a week will make them lose weight forever. I always tell them it is not that simple, and that they need to substitute high calorie foods and snacks for healthier choices, that they need to reduce their calorie intake permanently and commit to a change. They tell me they could never do that, well, that is why they will not lose weight.
3 years ago I weighed 30 lbs more than I weigh now. I never really realized I was getting fatter and fatter until I got to college and someone called me fat. It was such a wake up call for me. My family had always told me I was perfect, but it was then that I realized they were all obese and overweight and so had a very skewed perception of what was “normal”.
I decided that instead of getting angry, I would get motivated. I took up a biking regimen, cut out red meat and snack foods, and starting replacing sweets with raw veggies and fruits. In less than 3 months I had lost that 30 lbs and I’ve stayed within a range of 5 lbs since then. I went from a BMI of 25.1 to 20.5 and I never regret it. I feel better and less sick(stomach/intestine-wise) now than I did when I had poor eating habits.
I know my story isn’t as transformative as those amazing people who have losses in the 100’s of pounds, or those who have overcome true obesity, but it proved to me that lifestyle makes all the difference in a body. I truly have so much respect for them and everyone who commits to such a journey. It makes me sad that so many people say they want to lose weight yet are unwilling to put in the effort and lifestyle changes necessary to achieve it. I guess it can be assumed that they don’t truly want it. Yes there are things that will make it harder but there is nothing that can stop you from losing weight if you are truly committed to making the changes necessary. Knowing the basics of calories in, calories out, and using things like MyFitnessPal are godsends, really. It can all be worked down to an exact science, and there’s no denying that.
Hey Harper,
Thanks for the feedback, and you’re right; people can not expect to undo the effects of years or decades of poor nutrition and lifestyle habits by simply cutting calories or certain food groups for a few weeks. It requires a complete change of lifestyle, which can be extremely difficult for some people. Difficult isn’t impossible, though, and if someone wants to change badly enough they can. There’s no need to cut red meat, though, as long as your total calorie intake isn’t too high.
Drew-
I think that on this last reply, you got it right. The thing that always bothered me about the original statement was that it implied that it was just a single choice. In truth, it’s a choice every time. And for some, that choice is more difficult than it is for others. Genetics plays a part, epigenetics plays a part, and so does upbringing.
I think you nailed it when you acknowledged that it was a difficult, but not impossible choice. And for some, it’s more difficult than for others. That’s one of the reasons that some alcoholics don’t hang out with people who drink constantly – they know that they can’t resist. And depending on genetics, et al, it may mean that in order to not be fat, someone literally has to give up all the foods that they enjoy in life. Because that first bite is like the first drink for an alcoholic, they can’t stop.
Thanks for addressing the difficulty issue. Not many people do.
-Stephen
Hey Stephen,
You’re welcome. Technically, being fat is the result of making a lot of poor dietary and lifestyle choices over a long period of time, but I prefer to keep my post titles as short as possible.
thank you for taking the time to write. feel like I just got a dose of tough love.
Hey Eddie,
You’re welcome. I hope this helps you get started down a healthier path.
Thank you for this post. People are so afraid to speak the truth these days because they’re accused of bullying and vilifed as human beings. Those who’re overweight can be helped only if they’re willing to take responsibility for their actions.
Hey Aquarius,
You’re welcome. I don’t mind being accused of bullying and vilified by people who prefer lies to truth as long as I’m helping the people who are rational enough to understand, accept, and put this into action to improve their lives.
Can you offer any insight on using these principles to combat the heavy side effects of certain medications? I am referring specifically to mood stabilizers (i.e., lithium, seroquel, depakote) that are well-documented to slow metabolism, as well as significant impact on food intake and energy? I have yet to find any insight on this, as doctors brush it off and essentially plan for onset of metabolic syndrome. For some, these medications literally become a matter of life and death, and not taking them is not an option; but I do not think the alternative should be obesity and poor health.
My experience has been that, while weight loss is possible while taking these medications, it is much slower than average and very difficult to sustain, as the medications reduce metabolism, energy, and increase appetite. I eat healthy and am physically active (strength training, yoga, cardio). Very frustrating! Any insights are welcome.
Hey Mariaenna,
If someone is taking medications which reduce metabolic rate and increase hunger fat loss is definitely harder, but it is still possible and the same principles apply; calorie intake must be kept below calorie expenditure to create a deficit so that stored body fat is used for energy and strength training should be performed to maintain or increase lean body mass while fat is lost. Since someone with a lower metabolic rate may require a much lower calorie intake to lose fat it becomes even more important to consume foods that are highly nutritious and to plan meals that provide adequate protein.